WAR: The Father of All Mind Viruses Fear of an enemy — real, perceived, exaggerated, or fabricated — is the emotional incubator and superspreader of all mind viruses. John Leake Mar 15, 2026
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer concluded that they had been afflicted with collective stupidity (German: Dummheit). He was not being flippant or sarcastic, and he made it clear that stupidity is not the opposite of native intellect. On the contrary, the events in Germany between 1933 and 1943 had shown him that perfectly intelligent people were, under the pressure of fear and propaganda, rendered stupid—that is, incapable of critical reasoning.
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“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Do not misunderstand me. Danger is very real. But fear is a choice.” — Will Smith
‘Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past me I will turn to see fear’s path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.’ — Muad’Dib in DUNE
“To learn what we fear is to learn who we are. Horror defies our boundaries and illuminates our souls.” — Shirley Jackson
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real — I Kings 19:1-15
Maybe this is where our English word “dumbshit” originates?
AI Overview — “Dumbshit” is a vulgar slang term referring to a very stupid, foolish, or incompetent person. It is used as a derogatory noun or, less commonly, as an adjective to describe extreme foolishness. Originating in American slang around the 1940s, it serves as a harsh term of address.
That’s about the right timeframe for Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s observation to appear in the USA.
Seems like a good label to apply to a lot people in today’s population.
Maybe to plagiarize Jeff Foxworthy —
— if you have any of these “derangement syndromes”, you maybe a dumbshit!
— if you believe anything a politicians or bureaucrats says, you maybe a dumbshit!
— if you echo anything to see or hear on “social media” without citation or evidence, you maybe a dumbshit!
Nota Bene: Everything I blog about starts with a link of what prompted it.
“My first rule: I don’t believe anything the government tells me.” — George Carlin
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FJohn Reinke
Consultant at Technology Legacies LLC
Advisor, Computer Governance Committee at Manhattan College
Editor / Publisher at Jasper Jottings
Greater New York City Area